Entrepreneurs are a different than most people. Entrepreneurs embrace risk…every day. Business and personal risk to an entrepreneur are always present. Just ask an entrepreneur about their personal guarantee of the business’ debt (as an example). The smart management of risk by an entrepreneur is how he or she advances the business and sleeps at night. The problem is that most advisors working on behalf of business entrepreneurs approach risk from a position of fear and absolute avoidance. Thus, with the entrepreneur embracing and needing risk to advance business on one side of the spectrum, and the typical advisor on the other side of the spectrum, a large divide is created between the two parties and miscommunication and disconnect are often the end result.

Like an entrepreneur being different, my approach is also different than most advisors. My job is to advise the entrepreneur of the potential risks associated with an action – and the job of my entrepreneurial client, once educated, is to let me know how little or much he or she “cares” about the risk. If my client does not “care” about the risk, I don’t waste valuable resources on it. However, if my client does “care” about the potential risk, I spend my time working to manage and mitigate the associated risk. Knowing that proper risk management is the key to helping entrepreneurs advance their business allows me and my clients to sleep well.

ABOUT MIKE MERCURIO

Mike Mercurio | mmercurio@offitkurman.com | 301-575-0332 | Biz Tek Today

Mr. Mercurio is a Principal and the Chair of the Firm’s Business Law and Transactions Practice Group. He serves as outside general counsel to clients on matters related to corporate and business law, commercial transactions, government contracting, health care, construction services, and real estate. As a strategic partner to firm clients, Mr. Mercurio regularly counsels entrepreneurial individuals and assorted entities on all aspects of business and commerce including formation and structure; ownership, management and control; financing and capital; expansion and acquisition; sale and transfer; and contraction and dissolution.

ABOUT OFFIT KURMAN

Offit Kurman is one of the fastest-growing, full-service law firms in the Mid-Atlantic region. With over 170 attorneys offering a comprehensive range of services in virtually every legal category, the firm is well positioned to meet the needs of dynamic businesses and the people who own and operate them. Our eleven offices serve individual and corporate clients in the Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City regions. At Offit Kurman, we are our clients’ most trusted legal advisors, professionals who help maximize and protect business value and personal wealth. In every interaction, we consistently maintain our clients’ confidence by remaining focused on furthering their objectives and achieving their goals in an efficient manner. Trust, knowledge, confidence—in a partner, that’s perfect.

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